Fancy a bit of the Monkeys??

CD singles, along with frozen vegetarian ready meals, small beer bottles and 35mm camera film have all been removed from the basket to make way for USB sticks, fruit smoothies and muffins.

However CD classic albums have been added to the basket, which continues to include CD chart albums among the 650 goods and services the Office for National Statistics updates annually to reflect public spending habits and to calculate the Retail Price Index.

The ONS says the removal Top 40 singles from the basket reflects the fact consumers are downloading music more. However spending on portable digital storage devices, including memory cards and storage sticks, mp3 players, mobile phones and computers has grown.

The ONS says the inclusion of fruit smoothies and muffins was reflective of a growing "cafe culture".

FORMULA ONE

FORMULA ONE

Jeff Healey Dies Aged 41:

Most people’s first encounter with Healey would have been in the movie Road House with Patrick Swayze.

However, in February 2008 it was announced that he was returning to the rock genre with his new album Mess Of Blues.  The album was to be released on 20 March in the UK, with a tour to follow in April.
But on 2 March at St Joseph’s Hospital in Toronto Healey succumbed to the cancer that had haunted him for the past 12 months. He leaves a wife and two young children. He will be sorely missed in the rock world and our thoughts are with his family. Jeff Healey, 1966-2008

Mellancamp Writes Ghostly Musical: Weird collaboration of the week? It has to be John Mellancamp and horror writer Stephen King teaming up to write a musical. The long gestating musical, Ghost Brothers Of Darkland County has finally been finished after years of planning and writing (it was started in 2000).
If you’re interested, the story is set around a cabin and some ghosts that sing or something.

Paul Stanley Is A Phantom: KISS singer Paul Stanley is reportedly in line to play the Phantom in the latest incarnation of the famed musical, Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular. If he does step out as the Phantom it will be the second time in his life that he has played the faciallytroubled organist. He played the title role in the Toronto production in 1999.

Plant Turns Down £100m For Zep: A UK paper has claimed that Robert Plant has turned down £100 million to do a world tour with Led Zeppelin. The report in the Sunday Mirror says that each of the band members were offered the sum to do a tour of North America and Europe, but “Percy” turned it down.
Apparently the singer wants to focus on his forthcoming shows with Alison Krauss and wants to leave the O2 show as the band’s legacy, despite Jones and Page being keen on the tour. Kudos to Robert for standing his ground, but is this story even plausible? Any newspaper article that starts with “a source close to the band says…” is more often than not a load of rubbish, but it’s still nice to think that there are rock stars with integrity out there.

Keith: Mick's A Power Freak: Another month, another Keith Richards classic– he says that Mick’s a “power freak” and a “bit vain”, while the Led Zeppelin reunion “ain’t worth it”.
In an interview with Uncut magazine to promote the new Scorsese doc Shine A Light, Richards gave a rather brilliant description of the difference between him and Mick: "Mick's a maniac. He can't get up in the morning without knowing immediately who he's going to call. Meanwhile, I just go 'Thank God I'm awake' and wait for three or four hours before I do anything. He is a power freak and there's nothing we can do about it. I don't want to do anything about it. Let him bugger about. It doesn't make any difference to what we do."

In the interview he goes on to say that the Zep reunion left him less than enthusiastic. “Well done Jimmy and Robert. F*** off. 'Stairway To Heaven' don't make it for me, baby... I know the fascination, but it ain't worth it, pal." Thank you Keith for making the world an infinitely more entertaining place…

Eddie Undergoes Medical Tests: Rumours circulating the internet claiming Van Halen's demise are perhaps a little premature. It was reported yesterday that the band had put on hold plans to tour later this year, and this is still the case. However, the reason behind it may be medical rather than interpersonal.
According to Billboard, Eddie is undergoing medical tests which have forced the band to postpone four more dates on the band's current tour. The exact details of the medical tests haven't been revealed, but a statement from the band's management said that Eddie "is undergoing a battery of comprehensive medical tests to determine a defined diagnosis and recommended medical procedures". Get well soon Eddie.